Can you make your life better by doing less?

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Smaller Spaces Newsletter
January 2013

Anney Ardiel

My New Years resolution is to get better at time management, and here it is the end of January and I'm only now getting our newsletter out. But what a month it's been!

My brother Pat and I opened our new White Rock office and had our busiest month of moves so far. So it seems wise to focus this issue of "Smaller Spaces" on time management!
I hope you enjoy the read.

Anney

PS: Everyone likes to get a referral for personalized services like downsizing. If you know a senior who needs to move, please let them know about Act Together Moving Services!

Slow Down and Live Longer?

One thing that my clients all have in common is that they will only book one appointment per day. If they have a doctor's appointment, a trip to the bank or a social engagement, they're not booking another thing that day.

Seniors can get away with that, they're retired and can afford the time to limit their activities to one thing per day. If I tried to limit myself to one meeting per day I'd have a backlog of clients to see and a mountain of work to catch up on.

But let's look at the benefits of limiting the amount of scheduled events in a day. According to the Mayo Clinic, time management has important health benefits, and mindful planning of daily tasks can improve your quality of life (click here for the full article on the Mayo Clinic website).

Although I wouldn't be able to keep my appointments down to one per day, I'm going to test myself and see how only having two scheduled appointments per day changes my stress levels. There's a lot of wisdom to the idea of slowing down. For me, the challenges will be to prioritize, say no to non-essential tasks, and focus on the task at hand so that my mindfulness allows me to get more quality out of the work I do.

In summary: make time to take time in 2013. It will help you live longer!

January Moving Tip: Boxes

Getting enough boxes for your move can be a challenge. The average two bedroom home will require about 20 boxes, plus picture boxes, a dish pack or two (depending on how much china you have) and a few wardrobe boxes.

Get a variety of box sizes and have them on hand so your packing momentum doesn't get interrupted.

I recommend you use: dish pack box

"2 cube" (small) boxes for heavy items like books, papers and tools
"3 cube" (Medium) boxes for kitchen and bathroom items
"4 cube" (large) boxes for lighter things like linens
Dish packs: double-thick cardboard boxes that are designed to protect delicate things like china and glass. Use lots of plain newsprint and bubble wrap to add further protection.
Wardrobe boxes for clothes: ask your mover to bring some for you to use on moving day.

Little known fact:

Most moving companies sell packing supplies. If you buy boxes from them, they will deliver them and save you from having to lug all those boxes home yourself. They will also take back your used boxes once you've emptied them.

Many moving companies also give out used boxes for free. I recommend that you use these to box up donation items.

When picking a mover, ask them about their box prices and if they give used boxes for free.

If you need more information about downsizing and moving we are happy to help! Please give us a call:

In Victoria (778) 351-3888

On the Mainland (604) 655-3909

Enjoy past issues of Smaller Spaces: